Revised Piece #1

    The man, he hummed a quiet tune.

The world was young, the mountains green.

    No one around him to hear, just the moon. The moon at which no strain was lain until the stars above sat like a crown around the Earth. No words were brought from his mouth to the earth, but the humming continued all through the night.

    You see, that night was the last of his work. No business the old place had and no money, yet he was content with that in which he had achieved there in the past forty years.

    Dawn reached the earth so beautiful and rich with color that made the earth glow with pride and satisfaction. And it came with a new hum, more like a whistle. This one from the many glorious birds in the dense forest around.

    “Goodbye,” he said to the pumps and the store and the Pegasus. For a new journey in his life begun. An adventure. A spirit. A hope.

    With a satchel wrapped around his waist, he set off, into the forest and into the world. No place he needs to go, but everywhere he must.

    By light of sun and star and moon he walked, never daring to halt, never ceasing, and never looking back. And still, he hummed.

The world was fair, the mountains tall,

    And it was there he named the nameless hills and drank the untasted wells of deep, where he ventured far and wide and long. Not stopping until the Lord dare take him.

    Atop a hill, he peered in the great distance. The moon gleamed of red. And that morning came, in which dusk brought a red sunrise.

The blood of men was spilled that night.

    A shadow came upon the earth and lightning and thunder came with it, slashing through the sky above with a fierce and tempestuous attitude.  Fire and flame only started by a strike of lightning became its own person, causing anarchy in the forest.

    But still, the man hummed. He hummed with a new tone in his voice, those lyrics of hard and of dark powers that surrounded the earth in which people call home.

The world is grey, the mountains old

The forge’s fire is ashen-cold

And darkness dwells upon the earth.

    There comes a time when one has to end his journey upon the earth and begin a new one. Everyone reaches this point, including he. He lay on the mountain tall and closed his eyes for the last time and hummed.

But still the sunken stars appear 

Till I awake no more from sleep.

Found inspiration from Edward Hoppers painting 

And from JRR Tolkien's song, The Song of Durin

There he sat. The man.

The gas station man.

He sat on a hill

A green luscious hill that overlooked a city. The city with golden lights and shining walls. And in the center lay the Tower of The King.

This was his final destination.

The gas station man had reached his final destination.

A new adventure lay on the horizon surrounding the sparkling city.

He was ready.

This was the adventure he had been waiting his whole life for. Everything boiled down to this.

His hands grazed the grass as he stood up. With one foot gliding in front of the other, he made his way down to the city.

All around the birds whistled like he never heard before. Every pitch sang was so beautiful.

Going home, Going home,

I am going home

The man sang loud and clear for anyone with ears to hear and skipped to the city.

It’s not far, just close by

Through an open door

Work all done, care laid by,

Never fear no more

The gate was wide open, so in he walked.

It was not only the city that sparkled and shined, but his skin. It glowed with the power held within the walls.

But as he walked through the city, no people he did see.

As he made his way to the center, there lay before him the Tower of the King.

“Jack Lewis,” the city echoed with the voice brought from the tower.

“Yes?” The gas station man yelled his question.

“I see you have accomplished your journey, finished your adventure.”

“Yes. I have and was laid to rest peacefully.”

“And that you were. Though your adventure was finished for yourself, you must go back and finish the journey I have laid out for you, Jack Lewis.”

“What? I don’t understand. I had nothing left to do. I was old and frail. I did not have a job and the world around me was crumbling.”

“You see the physical side of humanity, of earth. But if you look with your soul instead of your eyes, you will see differently. I will see you again, Jack Lewis.”

“I don’t want to leave.”

With every blink of his eyes, the city dimmed. With every turn of his head, greenery appeared. The light was gone and the moon appeared.

And the gas station man hummed once more.

Roads Go Ever On and On…